Mini Repair Update

In a previous post I referenced needing to stay in the Livingston, TX area for electrical repairs to the Mini.  The GFIC outlet had shorted out and wouldn't reset.

The hole in the bathroom where the GFCI outlet used to be.

I'm somewhat handy with my hands but I tend to draw the line at efforts to fix electrical shorts.  Also the Mini is still within the manufacturers warranty and I didn't want to risk voiding it with a "home brew" fix.  Learning from fellow Escapees that a RV repair firm named West RV and Automotive was a capable repair outfit I got on their schedule for the end of November -- always a good sign when the repair place is booked up for 10 days, it means people use them.  Be leery of the place that says "Bring it in this morning, we'll get right to it" when you call them.

Anyway, West RV took three hours finding that, through a manufacturing mistake, a wire to all the sockets on the interior walls of the Mini was pinned between an aluminum floor strut and the flooring.  It was just a matter of time until vibration from travel wore the wiring insulation off and the wires arced on the aluminum, causing the GFIC to go off and eventually cook.  If I had tried to replace the GFCI outlet the replacement would have cooked too.  So West RV pulled out the bad wiring and rerouted it so there was no longer a danger of it being rubbed against and my time in the Livingston area came to an end.

$822.20!

West RV contacted Forest River (the Mini's manufacturer) for me and convinced the Forest River customer rep to OK the entire repair as warranty work which was very cool because the rep said they usually didn't pay for diagnosis time but given the severity of the wiring flaw they would this time!  I can't recommend West RV highly enough if you're in East Texas in need of an RV repair.

I'm camping my way out to Arizona now where plans are to spend the winter.

Thanks for reading

Campground Review: Lamesa RV Parking Area Lamesa, TX

Along my way to Livingston, TX I spent a couple of days camping at the small town of Lamesa, TX (Pop. 9461) near their excellent city park in their RV Parking Area.  The area consists of eight wider than average parking spaces, each with a 30 amp pedestal and a city water hookup.

"4 Days No Charge!!"

When I pulled in there were two other campers there but they pulled out the next morning and I had the place to myself for the next couple days.

The Mini's space at the Lamesa RV Parking Area.

Here's the Lamesa RV Parking data sheet:

Hookups:                                             20, 30 amp, water                                                      

Fire ring:                                              No                                                                  

Water Access:                                     No                                                      

Fresh Water:                                       Yes                                         

Trash Service:                                     Yes                                                     

Toilets:                                                Yes (flush)                                                     

Showers:                                             No                                                                  

Dump station:                                     Yes                                         

WiFi:                                                   No                                          

Level sites:                                         Yes                                         

Laundry:                                             No                                                      

Store:                                                  No (Quickmart ½ mile away)                                    

Pool:                                                   No                                                      

Shade:                                                Yes                                                     

Verizon reception:                               4G, 4 bars                                           

Internet reception:                               4 bars

Cost:                                                    Free for 4 days, $20/day thereafter

The park's kiddo play area directly across from the RV area

 Lamesa is a quiet little town and the RV area is pretty quiet with the exception of a fairly busy main road that runs past it, but it quiets down after about 10 pm.  One of the park's features is an 18 hole Frisbee golf course that runs through it that is also free to play.

One of the Frisbee golf course tees.

A the opposite end of the park is a really nice ball field.

The park ball diamond.

It's really great finding small towns that host the RV community with free hookups for three or four days.  It's a little surprising that more towns don't try to secure some of the commerce people who own expensive rigs (me excepted :D) represent.  It's very difficult to imagine the largest Class A rig using more than two or three dollars of electricity per day and the city camp areas I've stayed in appear to require very little upkeep after the initial setup.  Oh well...

The Lamesa RV Parking Area is a great place to stop for a day or two on your way across Texas.  It's probably going to be a regular stop for me on my way to and from Livingston.

Thanks for reading!

Eggnog Pie Time

It's almost Thanksgiving and every year at this time I share one of my family's prized desert recipes....Eggnog Pie!  This recipe has been scientifically proven to pack the most calories possible into a single slice of pie.  Here's the link to my original post with the recipe:

 Eggnog Pie Recipe

Good luck with it (and with fitting into your jeans on Black Friday!)

Thanks for reading!